Interpretive Summary: Ascochyta blight is a serious disease of chickpea worldwide and also in the U.S. The disease is cause by an airborne fungus that can affect all above ground plant parts and also the seeds. To determine the genetics of resistance we constructed a genetic mapping population and mapped the genes that confer resistance to the disease. Results have indicated that two regions of the chickpea genome are important for resistance and that the associated genetic markers can be used in the development of improved varieties. These findings can be used directly in the breeding program for improved varieties and for further study of the genetics of resistance.

Technical Abstract:
Recent advances in quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis have facilitated studies on Ascochyta blight, caused by Ascochyta rabiei Pass (Lab.), resistance in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). Using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from an interspecific cross between C. arietinum and C. reticulatum, the same two QTLs conferring resistance to Ascochyta blight were identified at two locations by interval mapping. Genotype X Environment interaction was significant both between years at the same location and between locations. The effect of QTL-1 on linkage group 6 (LG-6) was greater than that of QTL-2 on LG-1 at Pullman; while the effect of QTL-2 was higher than QTL-1 at Eskisehir. Dissection of QTLs with molecular markers provides a better understanding of resistance to Ascochyta blight in chickpea.